Method of manufacturing heat exchange apparatus



c. FIELD June 10, 1941.

METHOD QF muqmcwunme HEAT: Excnmes APPARATUS;- 1

Original Filed Aug. 14, 1951 I INVENTOR' I I wc z'osfiy" field L I BY 1Patented June 10, 1941 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUSCrosby Field, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Flakice Corporation,Wilmington, D el., a corporation of Delaware Original application August14, 1931, Serial No.

Divided and this application January 22, 1937, Serial No. 121,768

6 Claims.

This invention pertains to a method of making a flexible cylindricalpanel or section particularly adapted for assembling with similar panelsor sections to form a flexible cylinder such as is used in an ice makingmachine described in United States Patent No. 2,005,734, issued June 25,1935.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved method formanufacturing such a panel.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.557,107, filed August 14, 1931, which has become Patent No. 2,078,938,dated May 4, 1937.

The nature and further objects of the invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from the following description'and accompanyingdrawings of one illustrative embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is an isometric projection of a flexible cylinder madeaccording to the method of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged isometric view of one of the panels or metalsections of the cylinder and showing the manner in which the ends of themetal sheets are united.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the panel showing themanner of" uniting the ends of the metal sheets.

This application is directed particularly to a method of manufacturing aflexible cylindrical panel from a thin metal and so constructed as towithstand continuous flexing about its periphery without breaking. Suchpanels may be joined side by side to form a flexible cylinder such as isused in the ice making machine described in the above mentioned patent.

The details of construction and operation of the machine as a whole arefully described in the co-pending application referred to, reference towhich is hereby made, it being suflicient here to say that the flexiblecylinder must itself be free from leaks and must be incorporated in themachine in such manner as to prevent the cold brine from leaking out ofthe cylinder into the water in the tank, and to prevent the water in thetank from entering the cylinder.

When in use the continuous revolving of the of the finished cylinder.

edges to form the complete cylinder.

Referring to Figure 1, the cylinder consists of a plurality of sheets 8of thin flexible non-corrodible metal, each strip having its ends unitedand sealed to form one panel of the cylinder, and the several panelsbeing united and sealed at their At each end of the cylinder, flexibleaprons 9 are provided for securing the completely assembled cylinder toan end bell and a center ring of an ice making machine of the type shownand described in'the aforesaid patents. For a machine having a cylinder30" in diameter and a deflecting roller of 6" to 8" in diameter, thesheets 8 may be .01" thick. Such thickness may vary under differentconditions.

In accordance with the present embodiment chosen to illustrate theinvention, sheets of suitable metal, for example, Monel metal, are cutto proper length and width. Each sheet is then rolled to preform thesheet to form a cylinder of a diameter a little less than half of thediameter In this operation the sheet is rolled first from one end andthen from the other end. This preforming of the metal sheets greatlyreduces the stresses on the sheet when deflected by the deflectingroller and thus increases the fatigue life of the metal- After thepreforming operation the ends of each panel are smoothed as with sandpaper and bent to form hooks l2, as shown in Figure 3. A suitable clampstrip l3, formed as shown in Figure 3, is now slid into the hooks [2 tohold them in a fixed position. The clamp strip is then looked to thehooks by means of a lock strip I4, formed as shown in Figure 3. The lockstrip is preferably forced into position while the joint is immersed ina waterproofing cement, such as Vulcalock. The strips l3 and I4 securelyunite the ends of the strip 8 and the cement seals the union. ,When thecement is dry the endless band of metal is placed in a sanding drumwhere the areas adjacent the union are sand-papered and cleaned with asolvent such as benzol. Vulcalock cement is'then applied to the underside of clamp strip l3 and to the'under side of the strip I adjacent theunion, and a strip of pure gum rubber l5 (about thick) isthen applied,as shown in Figure 3, to completely seal the union.

A suflicient number of endless metal sheets or sections formed as abovedescribed may be assembled to form a complete cylinder for an icemachine in any suitable manner such as that for example described andmore particularly claimed in my co-pending application Serial No.

121,769 filed January 22, 1937, now Patent No. 2,210,070, dated Aug. 6,1940.

While one specific embodiment of the invention has been described withparticularity it is to be understood that the invention is not to belimited thereby, but may have numerous other embodiments within thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of making a flexible cylindrical panel which includes thesteps of preforming a sheet of thin flexible metal to a natural diametersubstantially less than the diameter of the flnished cylindrical panel,uniting the ends of said sheet to form a joint while the joined portionsare immersed in liquid flexible waterproof cement having thecharacteristics of Vulcalock, treating the joint thus formed withwaterproofing cement and then heat-insulating the joint on the inside ofthe panel by vulcanizing a layer of insulatin material to the portionsso treated.

2. A method of making a flexible cylindrical panel from a sheet of thinmetal, which includes the steps of rolling the sheet from one end andthen from the other end to preform it to a diameter substantially lessthan the diameter of the finished panel, preforming opposing ends ofsaid sheet, clamping said preformed portions together to form a jointwhile said joined portions are wet with liquid flexible waterproofcement having the characteristics of Vulcalock, applying waterproofingmaterial to the joint thus formed, and then applying heat-insulatingmaterial to the joint and upon said waterproofing material.

3. Method of forming a resiliently flexible metallic cylinder whichincludes the stepsof rolling a resiliently flexible sheet metal stripfirst from one end and then from the other to reshape the same into asubstantially cylindrical convolution .with end portions thereofoverlapping, bending a portion of each of said ends upon itself to formend hooks, bending lateral edge portions of a seam closing clamp stripto, form edge hooks, applying the clamp strip across the ends of saidflexible, strip to interlock its bent over edge portions with the bentover end portions of the flexible strip, forming a flanged locking barwith lateral grooves defining a web adapted to fit snugly and tosubstantially fill the space between the opposed convex portions of saidend hooks in the finished cylinder, and forcing said locking bar betweensaid convex portions of the end hooks while the latter are interlockedwith said edge hooks of the clamp to close the seam or'joint extendingacross the cylinder.

4. Method of forming a resiliently-flexible metallic cylinder whichincludes the steps of rolling a resiliently flexible sheet metal stripto reshape the same into a substantially cylindrical convolution withend portions thereof overlapping, bending a portion of each of said endsupon itself to form end hooks, bending lateral edge portions of a seamclosing clamp strip to form edge hooks,

applying the clampstrip across the ends of said faces.

flexible strip to interlock its bent over edge-portions with the bentover end portions of the flexible strip, forming a flanged locking barwith lateral grooves defining a web adapted to fit snugly and tosubstantially fill the space between the opposed convex portions of saidend hooks in the finished cylinder, and forcing said locking bar betweensaid convex portions of the end hooks while'the latter are interlockedwith said edge hooks of the clamp to closethe seam or joint extendingacross the cylinder and while the joint forming portions of saidflexible strip, said clamp, and the locking bar are wet with liquidvulcalock cement.

5. Method of forming a resiliently flexiblemetallic cylinder whichincludes the steps of rolling a resiliently flexible sheet metal stripfirst from one end and then from the other to reshape theseam closingclamp strip to form edge hooks.

applying the clamp strip across the ends of said flexible strip tointerlock its bent over edge portions with the bent over end portions ofthe flexible strip, forming a flanged 'locking bar with lateral groovesdefining a web adapted to fit snugly and to substantially fill. thespace between the opposed convex portions of said end hooks in thefinished cylinder, forcing said locking bar between said convex portionsof the end hooks while the latter are interlocked with said edge hooksof the clamp to close the seam or joint extending across the cylinderand while the joint forming portions of said flexible strip, said clamp,and the locking bar are wet with liquid vulcalock cement. Y

6. Method of forming a resiliently flexible metallic cylinder whichincludes the steps of rolling a. resiliently flexible sheet metal stripto reshape the same into a substantially cylindrical convolution withend portions thereof overlapping, bendform end hooks, bending lateraledge portions of a seam closing clamp strip to form edge hooks, applyingthe clamp strip across the ends of said flexible strip to interlock itsbent over edge portions with the bent over end portions of the flexiblestrip, forming a flanged locking bar with lateral grooves defining a webadapted 'tofit snugly and to substantially fill the space between theopposed convex portions of said end hooks in the finished cylinder,forcing said locking bar between said convex portions of the end hookswhile the latter are interlocked with said edge hooks of the-clamp toclose the seam or joint extending across the cylinder, cleaning surfacesof said clamp and of the flexible strip adjacent thereto exposed withinthe cylinder, and vulcanizing a layer of rubber upon said cleaned sur-CROSBY FIELD.

